COMSC-122: Prog Concepts & Methods I

Fall 2026 Sam Bowne

This is an online class with optional help sessions
Tuesdays at 6 pm on Zoom with a password of student1
and Mon, Wed, and Thu at 7:30 pm on Twitch.

Schedule · Projects · Syllabus · Outline

Class Description

This course introduces the discipline of computer science with practical hands-on problem solving using a "high level" computer programming language. The course will include basic syntax and semantics of a "high level: language, variables, types, expressions, assignment, basic computation, simple I/O conditional and iterative control structures, functions, and parameter passing, structured decomposition, program design, programming style, algorithms, and problem solving strategies, overview of programming languages, binding, visibility, scoping, and lifetime management.

Textbook

You will need to work through the textbook chapters and take Quiz to earn points. The textbook is a free online resource, with interactive Google Colab notebooks to use for each chapter, linked below. There are also videos posted below to guide you through each chapter.

Think Python (free, online)

Quiz

The Quiz are multiple-choice, online, and open-book. However, you may not ask other people to help you during the Quiz. Each quiz has 5 questions, you have ten minutes to take it, and you can make two attempts. If you take the quiz twice, the higher score counts.
Use this Canvas server: LMC Canvas

CodinGame

You will need to solve coding challenges to practice with Python, as explained at: VP 500: CodinGame.
You need to turn in screen images of your profile into Canvas to collect points for challenges.

Contact
For class-related questions, please send messages inside Canvas.

Grading

Grades are determined from your total points, like this:

Points     Grade

630     A

560     B

420     C

350     D

< 350     F

Schedule
Date	Due on Friday	Topic

Mon 8-24 Week 1	Quiz Ch 1	1. Programming as a way of thinking Demo: VP 500: CodinGame

Mon 8-31 Week 2	Quiz Ch 2	2. Variables and Statements

Mon 9-7 Week 3	Quiz Ch 3	3. Functions

Mon 9-14 Week 4	Quiz Ch 4	4. Functions and Interfaces

Mon 9-21 Week 5	Quiz Ch 5	5. Conditionals and Recursion

Mon 9-28 Week 6	Quiz Ch 6	6. Return Values

Mon 10-5 Week 7	Quiz Ch 7	7. Iteration and Search

Mon 10-12 Week 8	Quiz Ch 8 VP 500: CodinGame Progress	8. Strings and Regular Expressions

Mon 10-19 Week 9	Quiz Ch 9	9. Lists

Mon 10-26 Week 10	Quiz Ch 10	10. Dictionaries

Mon 11-2 Week 11	Quiz Ch 11	11. Tuples

Mon 11-9 Week 12	Quiz Ch 12	12. Text Analysis and Generation

Mon 11-16 Week 13	Quiz Ch 13	13. Files and Databases

Mon 11-23 Week 14	Quiz Ch 14	14. Classes and Functions

Mon 11-30 Week 15	Quiz Ch 15	15. Classes and Methods

Mon 12-7 through Fri 12-11		Final Exam available online. You can only take it once.